Titans season 3, episode 3 ending explained: Is [SPOILER] really dead?

DC’s Titans season 3 left viewers in complete shock with a jaw-dropping conclusion to its three-part premiere. Major spoilers ahead.

After a lengthy wait, DC’s Titans returned to screens for its third season. Now a HBO Max-exclusive (after DC Universe was phased into a comics subscription service instead), the show kicked off its third season with three episodes all arriving on the streaming service at once.

Delving into Jason Todd’s transition into the ruthless Red Hood, Titans season 3 adapts the Batman storyline “A Death In The Family” by putting its own spin on it.

** Spoilers for all three episodes of Titans season 3 ahead ** 

The non-stop adaptation really took form over those first three episodes, with the last one of them leaving viewers in complete shock. But what does it mean for the show?

Is Hank really dead on Titans season 3?

The third episode of Titans‘ third season saw Jason Todd (a.k.a. Red Hood) lead Hank Hall into a trap as he convinced his former partner-in-crime-fighting that he needed his help. And that trap really was a life-or-death situation because the former Robin placed an intricate bomb to Hank’s chest, syncing it with his heartbeats.

Though he gave Dawn the chance to save her other half by killing Jason, Red Hood tricked her into pulling the trigger herself, seemingly killing Hank just seconds before Superboy found a way to save him.

While anybody can defy death in the comic book genre, Titans went a long way in making it seem that Hank was gone. From the fact that Jason was successful in his mission to mess with the Titans to Dawn’s complete devastation over what had happened to her longtime love, it’s hard to see Hawk returning to the show – especially when you factor in that Superboy was not able to save him in time.

Is Alan Ritchson leaving Titans?

Hank’s death will no doubt come as a shock to fans of the show but it might not come as a shock to everyone. The man behind the Hawk mask, Alan Ritchson, recently landed the title role in Amazon’s Jack Reacher series, causing speculation that he may be leaving the show.

It’s worth remembering, however, that Ritchson is still billed as a series regular for Titans season 3 and Hawk features on all of the promotional material, so there is still a chance that we haven’t seen the last of him on the show (regardless of Hawk’s apparent fate). Remember, Titans loves a flashback.

Were you shocked by the ending of Titans season 3, episode 3? What did you think of the season 3 premiere? Let us know in the comments below!